#HEALTHTALK 30: Child birth and spacing methods (2)

Posted by Paul Anunaso February 25, 2021

#HEALTHTALK 30: Child birth and spacing methods (2)

Credit: sharp.com

In the first part of this article, the need for new/intending couples who want to have kids to discuss and plan ahead of time for the coming of their children was established as a true necessity.

Critical questions and considerations which should form that discussion were elaborated upon, and family planning, as the most efficient tool to achieve child birth control and spacing goals was introduced. Of these, we said the following:

"Child spacing can be effective, if the family adopts some family planning methods that control and help you anticipate pregnancy in a way that better suits your goals."

Continuing, we added, "In order to prevent conception or control its rate, family planning provides knowledge of various natural and artificial contraceptive methods which are safe, and also advices you on the reliability of each of them."

So, in this second and concluding part of the article, we shall consider in details what family planning is really about, and various contraceptive methods which can help you control and better anticipate pregnancy according to your planning.

What is family planning?

Family planning is the ability of a couple to plan, anticipate and attain their desired number of children, and the spacing and timing of their births, through the use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of involuntary infertility.

For couples who who want to remain sexually active, but have career, financial and other considerations limiting their desire for a child at the moment or to a certain number (including the choice to not have children at all), family planning presents the best healthcare solutions for achieving these via the use of a range of contraceptive methods.

Similarly, for couples who are faced with involuntary infertility issues (either caused by the man, woman or both), family planning presents alternative methods for conception too.

Family Planning has reportedly been practiced since the 16th century by the people of Djenné in West Africa's Mali, where physicians advised women to space their children, having them every three years rather than too many and too quickly.

In modern times, it has come to include other aspects such as sex education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as pre-conception counseling and infertility management. Abortion is not a component of family planning. In fact, with proper family planning, abortion is not needed.

Since the year 1989, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health has published a National Family Planning Communication Plan every four years.

What is contraception?

A woman can get pregnant if just one sperm cell of a man reaches and fertilizes one of her eggs. Contraception tries to stop this from happening in one or more of three ways:

by keeping the egg and sperm apart.
by stopping egg production.
by stopping the fertilized egg from attaching to the lining of the womb.

The first and third are temporary ways of getting contraception done, while the second is a permanent way of doing it.

The United Kingdom's NHS lists fifteen (15) methods of contraception. They are:

Click on any to learn more about them.

The first to thirteenth are all temporary methods of contraception, while the 14th and 15th are permanent methods.

Male condoms are the most common contraceptive in use around the world today. It was largely popularized by the campaign against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections, but is also the easiest contraceptive to use—and can be very efficient (98%) when used properly. They are the only contraceptives that can both prevent pregnancy and STIs.

Natural family planning is also highly effective (99%), but only if instructions are carefully followed diligently.

Contraception as a tool for family planning

All the fifteen contraceptives listed above have one thing in common: They all can help prevent pregnancy.

But while the first thirteen are used to do so temporarily, the last two (sterilization) permanently prevent a woman from being able to get pregnant, and a man from being able to impregnate a woman.

As such, any couple that still intends to try to get pregnant at any time in their future needs to stay away from permanent contraceptives, and pick less risky temporary contraceptives which can easily be discontinued at any time when they want to get pregnant.

Before deciding on a method for use, it is important for couples to properly research them and seek medical advice, and to proceed only if they have received sound medical advice from a qualified medical doctor. This is because, not all temporary methods are without significant side effects, especially on the woman; particularly, those involving pills and injections.

How to choose the sex of your child

Conception can either happen naturally (when a man and a woman have sex), or artificially (via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intra-uterine insemination).

The sex of a child at conception is determined by the type of chromosomes from the man and woman which combine to conceive the child.

Dr. Promise Okeke

Both the man and the woman have two chromosomes apiece in each of their sperm and egg cells respectively. While the sperm cells have XY chromosomes, the egg cells have XX chromosomes.

If an X apiece from both parents combine, a girl will be conceived, but if an X and a Y combine, a boy will be conceived. This is a medical fact.

Depending on which method of conception (natural or artificial) a couple chooses, the gender selection method differs:

1. The shettles method is used in natural conception

This method involves timing the intercourse right, and also using sexual positions that increase the odds of having a boy or a girl. The success rate can be very good if carefully followed, but also depends on a number of factors, some if which may not entirely be under your control.

Here's how it works: It is well known that sperm, once inside a woman's body, can remain there and viable for up to 5 days. The Y-sperm cells move fast, but also die fast. Their lifespan is about 24 hours only. Whereas the X-sperm cells move slowly but survive longer (up to 5 days).

Therefore, if you have intercourse some days before ovulation, most of the Y-sperm cells would have died by the day ovulation happens, leaving mostly X-sperm cells to fertilized the egg. Hence, higher chances are that a girl will be conceived.

But if you want to conceive a boy, you should target having intercourse on the very day that ovulation starts, up till the 3rd day. This way, the Y-sperm cells stand a better chance of combining with an egg cell before they lose their viability and die off quickly.

2. The microsort technique is used in artificial conception medical procedures

This is a sperm-sorting technique that provides couples worldwide a means of pre-conception sex selection through artificial conception methods or medical procedures.

The male sperm cells are separated in a lab based on which sex chromosome they contain, which results in separated semen samples that contain a higher percentage of sperm cells that carry the same sex chromosome.

This technology ultimately enables couples to choose the sex of their future child by choosing semen samples that predominantly contain sperm with the X chromosome (for a female) or Y chromosome (for a male).

Once couples pick from an assortment of X or Y chromosomes, the sperm cells are then inserted via in-vitro fertilization or intra-uterine insemination. This method has a 91% success rate for girls and 73% success rate for boys.

Meaning of ovulation and how to calculate it

Ovulation is part of a woman's menstrual cycle. It occurs when an egg is released from her ovary. And it typically happens at the middle of the menstrual cycle—around day 14. But the exact timing can vary since the menstrual cycle itself can vary month-on-month.

According to Healthline, when the egg is released, it may or may not be fertilized by sperm. If fertilized, the egg may travel to the uterus and implant to develop into a pregnancy. If left unfertilized, the egg disintegrates and the uterine lining is shed during the woman's period.

Here are simple steps to calculate your ovulation period and determine the sex of your child, developed by Dr. Promise Okeke.

1. From the first day you see the blood stain of your period, pick up a calendar and count 15 days (including the first day of the blood stain).

2. Mark the 15th day with a pen.

3. Mark 3 days before the 15th day, and also mark 3 days after the 15th day.

4. You will notice that you now have 7 days marked.

5. These 7 days are your ovulation/fertile days, also known as "unsafe period". If you have sex on any of these days, then you have 98% chances of becoming pregnant.

6. Do this every month diligently.

For Example,

1. Let's assume that your period happened on 11th July.

2. 15 days after the first day of the blood stain will be on 25th of the same July (2weeks after, counting from the 11th).

3. 3 days before 25th July are 22nd, 23rd, and 24th.

While 3 days after 25th July are 26th, 27th, and 28th.

4. 22-28th July (7 days) is your ovulation period. During these 7 days, you are most fertile and stand a higher chance of becoming pregnant if you have sex.

Note:

Remember that sperm stays viable in the female body for up to five (5) days. Any sexual contact in-between ovulation period is highly likely to lead to conception.

So, if you want a baby girl, have sex between 3 days before ovulation (22nd - 24th). The female sperm (X-sperm) swims slowly, but can stay inside a woman's body for days without dying off.

But, for a baby boy, it is advisable to have sex on the main ovulation day and 3 days after it (26th, 27th, and 28th).

Male sperm (Y-sperm) swims very fast, but will get weak and die off if no egg is found and joined to after a while, leaving the female sperms to finish the job.

A final word

While family planning is a great way to plan for and initiate or stop pregnancy according to your own timing, it is important to always remember that children are a gift from God, not man-made.

So, even though some of the methods are known to have high success rates, there are occasionally some exemptions. Hence, family planning methods should be followed with prayers and the guidance of a qualified and experienced medical doctor at all times.

Lilian Uchechi Eze is a Nutritionist-Dietitian and teacher in Lagos, Nigeria. She is also a Lead Content Creator at The Paul Anunaso Blog, and can be reached at lilian.thepaulanunasoblog@gmail.com

Some information in this article have been adapted from the writings of Dr. Promise Okeke, a medical practitioner in Nigeria.

Disclaimer: The #HealthTalk series is aimed at informing the public in a general sense that is not necessarily medically professional. Hence, the information provided herein is not meant to replace the appropriate medical assessment and guidance of a trained and licensed physician. Doctor's counsels are always to be taken in preference.

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